Co-operators from across the island of Ireland, and the UK, gathered in Belfast last month for a joint conference of the Society for Co-operative Studies Ireland and the UK Society for Co-operative Studies (UKSCS).
The conference explored the development of a more co-operative economy and society across Ireland and Britain. Attendees were presented with a variety of inspiring examples of co-operative initiatives in areas such as legislation, housing, farming, education, and sport.
The opening address was given by Northern Ireland’s economy minister, Caoimhe Archibald, who talked about the role of co-ops, credit unions and community wealth-building in her departmental priorities – good jobs, productivity, decarbonising and regional balance.
She drew on the province’s proud tradition and the impact of credit unions and agri co-ops in particular, and introduced members of her departmental team attending the conference as part of their remit to help to double the size of the co-op economy in line with UK policy.
“Co-operatives have an important role to play in delivering my economic priorities,” she said. “Greater involvement of workers in decision-making, in businesses rooted in local communities, helps promote good jobs and regional balance. Meanwhile, community ownership energy models strengthen the buy-in that is vital to delivering the transition to net zero.
“There is strong history in the north of co-operative business models, especially in agriculture and credit unions, and I look forward as Minister to helping the co-operative model grow, diversify to new sectors and maximise its potential here.”
Paul Gerrard, campaigns director at the Co-op Group, delivered a passionate address on the role of co-ops in post-conflict reconstruction. Introducing the UK movement’s international development fund, he drew on a long history of co-ops working for peace – including the declaration in 1915 by CWS chair William Maxwell that “co-operation is the antithesis of war” and the creation of the white poppy in the 1930s. More recently, co-ops played a key role in reconciliation in Rwanda and Guatemala, as well as the work of credit unions in Northern Ireland.
Peter Couchman, former CEO of the Plunkett Foundation, looked at the importance of co-operative education. From Robert Owen and the Rochdale Pioneers to Joseph Reeves and the Royal Arsenal Co-op, he argued that every co-op pioneer and every step forward for co-operation has recognised the importance of education – not just of members but also of the wider public – and invested heavily in it. He challenged delegates to reflect on what their organisations are doing to advance co-operative education.
Related: What does ‘doubling’ the co-op economy mean – and how do we do it?
Saturday began with an inspirational presentation from Linda Ervine, founder of Irish language education organisation, Turus, the largest provider of cross-sectarian adult education in Northern Ireland. Originally an English teacher from a Unionist community in East Belfast, she has an infectious enthusiasm for the Irish language and spoke with passion about how the project has thrived despite opposition, threats and misrepresentation from various political and sectarian groups. After each confrontation, its reach and scale has increased.
Using Co-operatives UK data, Nick Matthews challenged received narratives around co-op growth and suggested that, for registered societies, there has been little, if any, growth in registrations over the past decade. Tiziana O’Hara offered a different perspective from Northern Ireland, where there have been significant new registrations in breweries, renewable energy and projects using community shares to finance the purchase of assets and businesses.
But, she warned, following the end of the Co-operative Enterprise Hub in 2014 funding for development has been sparse and project-based, and the number of practitioners available to advise new and existing co-ops has fallen by two thirds. The challenge from contributors to the government is that to deliver ambitious growth, resources for development and access to finance must be made available.
The final keynote was from Cliff Mills, who shared his radical thinking on the nature of the co-operative business method and argued that we should stop using the language of a “co-operative business model” which carries baggage from capital-based investor-owned firms. His contention was that the Rochdale Pioneers ripped up the idea of a contract of sale by bridging and aligning the interests of buyer and seller in transactions – they were buying for and selling to themselves. He offered examples such as Co-operative Network Infrastructure, a new co-op that manages shared capacity in fibre-optic communications infrastructure.
By Nick Matthews
A session on worker co-ops and workplace democracy opened with a witty exposition by John Barry, professor of green political economy at Queens University Belfast, on the role of traditional models of economic growth in contributing to the climate crisis. As a red/green (he described himself as a ‘Marxist-Lentilist’) he argued that there is no steady state in capitalism. “Capitalism, as a socio-economic order, is like a bicycle, it either ‘grows and goes’ or it collapses and falls into recession.”
The economy, as currently constituted, is growing its way out of its biophysical ‘safe operating space’ with dire consequences for our ecology, he warned. A way out of this would be its radical democratisation with a collectivisation of production and a socialisation of consumption. There is a key role in this process for co-ops – so long as co-ops, as a business form, can survive in a zero-growth environment.
Related: How can we improve the accounting framework for co-ops?
The second presentation was on the support system for worker co-ops in Ireland. Gerard Doyle (former secretary of SCSI) of the Technical University of Dublin talked about the fact that there are fewer than 20 worker co-ops trading in the Republic. The reasons for this are complex, including historical, cultural, and legal factors contributing to their lack of visibility as an option. The research (jointly written with Tanya Lalor, social enterprise consultant) looked at why it is so difficult to form and upscale worker co-ops. The work involved a series of structured interviews with existing co-ops in the Republic and other jurisdictions. It is hoped this work will identify factors which support the development of worker co-ops in their respective countries. In particular, the findings will identify the specific policies, supports and characteristics of worker co-op eco-systems. A systemic approach to co-op development cannot come soon enough.
The final paper in this session was by Cian McMahon of the University of Dundee, looking at the role of trade unions within worker co-ops. He made an extensive survey of the literature on unionised worker-run co-ops, uncovering significant diversity. The study aims to better understand the potential benefits to trade unions and worker co-ops from closer collaboration – and in particular the potential governance benefits to worker co-ops of trade unionisation.
Among the historical sweep was the fact that, despite Mondragon allowing no trade unions, it had formed a relationship with the United Steelworkers union to develop worker co-ops in North America. Rounding off the work, McMahon looked at two case studies of trade unions within existing worker co-ops, one from the UK and one from Canada. It was interesting that in both cases, Suma in the UK and the Glitter Bean Café in Halifax, Nova Scotia, unionisation came from non-member employees.
Looking back on the event, SCSI chair Patrick Doyle said: “The conference showcased the vibrancy and diversity of the co-operative movement across Ireland and Britain. There is much we can learn from each other. At a time of multiple overlapping crises around housing, climate, and the future of democracy, it is vital that we advocate for co-operative solutions to these challenges.”
